With Loki‘s Natalie Holt on board, the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi is the first Star Wars project to have a female composer. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the classically trained violinist talked about using unusual instruments for the show’s music, creating themes for planets (and Stormtroopers), bringing “a bit of modernity” to the sound—and about the piece of music she didn’t write: Obi-Wan Kenobi’s theme. That theme, and the title suite, is all John Williams.
Holt says Williams is “basically the reason why I noticed music in film as a child.” The iconic composer is responsible for all those Star Wars themes we know so well—but, Holt says, “He really wanted to write [Obi-Wan’s] theme because he was the one character that he didn’t write the theme for in the original movie.”
She continues:
So I think he had this feeling that he wanted to complete the challenge. I think he had two weeks and he came on board and wrote the Obi theme and a suite, which is the main title, and then a few variations of how the Obi theme can work. That was what he had time to give the project, and it was just a gift. It’s so perfect and in a way, once I had that Obi theme, it set the tentpoles up for the project.
Holt (who is also the composer for the upcoming Batgirl) has a palpable enthusiasm for Williams, for working with Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow, and for the whole Star Wars experience: “Deborah said everyone has this moment where they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m working on Star Wars!’ The writers—like all departments. It takes everyone a minute to get used to the idea of it and then find their way.”
We’ll get to hear the way she found when Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on May 27th.
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